“Marquis Guanjun struck to kill directly?” Governor Li’s face was shrouded in dark clouds as he paced back and forth in his study.

“Sir, please calm yourself,” his advisor counseled.

Governor Li stopped. “Sir Han, do you think Yang Hu might have fallen into Marquis Guanjun’s hands?”

“We’ll know when the people sent to gather information return. Although the road from Jia Feng City to Baiyun Village that Marquis Guanjun took doesn’t have many travelers, there are always people who have seen something. Since Marquis Guanjun chose to act in broad daylight, if Yang Hu truly fell into his hands, a living person can’t just vanish into thin air.”

Governor Li reluctantly nodded, waiting anxiously and restlessly.

The advisor sighed quietly.

If he had known it would come to this, why call Yang Hu back to monitor Marquis Guanjun? Over these years, his superior had relied too heavily on Yang Hu.

Governor Li felt like each day lasted a year, until finally his subordinate, who had gone to gather information, returned with news: “Sir, several common folk saw a tall, handsome young man seize someone in broad daylight.”

Though he had already anticipated this, once it was confirmed, Governor Li’s heart still sank: “This is bad. Yang Hu must have fallen into Marquis Guanjun’s hands. Sir Han, what do you make of this situation?”

The advisor stroked his goatee, his expression grave: “For Marquis Guanjun to act so brazenly suggests he very likely already obtained what he wanted.”

“What did he want?” Governor Li muttered, then suddenly changed color. “Could it be he found more evidence?”

“From logical deduction, there’s that possibility.”

“Damn it!” Governor Li sat down heavily, striking the desk forcefully. “I knew those old friends of the Qiao family would cause trouble eventually, but how hateful that I can’t kill them all to eliminate future problems!”

“Sir, what’s important now isn’t the Qiao family’s old friends, but Marquis Guanjun!”

A thick killing intent flashed in Governor Li’s eyes: “Marquis Guanjun – since he’s seeking a path to death, he can’t blame this official for being ruthless. Sir Han, have those people been arranged properly?”

“Sir, rest assured, everything has been arranged.”

Governor Li stood up, his eyes half-narrowed: “Rather than choose an auspicious day, let’s act tonight!”

At the Jinlin Guards’ lodging, Jiang Wu rubbed his temples, muttering: “Why did Governor Li send people to track Marquis Guanjun? What scheme is he plotting?”

Recalling the inexplicable words Governor Li had said when hosting him at the city’s largest tavern two days prior, Jiang Wu felt somewhat uneasy and instructed his subordinates: “Keep a close watch on both Governor Li and Marquis Guanjun. If there’s any unusual activity, report immediately!”

The ginkgo trees in the courtyard were breathtakingly beautiful. Jiang Wu’s gaze turned toward the window, but his thoughts drifted to the capital.

Shao Mingyuan brought the man back to Tofu Beauty’s residence. Both Chi Can and Yang Houcheng were startled to see him.

“This isn’t the person from Miss Li’s drawing?” Yang Houcheng pulled Shao Mingyuan outside, speaking in a low voice.

“Mm.” Shao Mingyuan nodded.

Chi Can, beside them, sighed softly: “Third Miss Li’s drawing was truly lifelike.”

Yang Houcheng nodded repeatedly: “Extremely so. I recognized him at first glance. Tingquan, how did you find this person?”

Shao Mingyuan smiled slightly: “He walked into the trap himself. This person has been tracking me these past few days.”

“Tracking you?” Yang Houcheng couldn’t help but laugh. “This person is seeking death!”

“No, this person’s martial skills are extremely good. I can only say his luck was poor.”

If he had been tracking someone else, he probably wouldn’t have met this fate.

“Where’s Third Miss Li? After she returned, why did she go to her room and not come out?” When mentioning Qiao Zhao again, Chi Can’s face showed no particular expression, as if that youthful infatuation had never existed.

Yang Houcheng’s eyes suddenly widened as he licked his lips: “Miss Li is coming out.”

The three looked over and saw the dressed young woman approaching, carrying a fire poker.

Chi Can and Yang Houcheng looked at each other, clearly not understanding what was happening.

Shao Mingyuan felt his scalp tingle and smiled foolishly: “Zhaozhao, is the fire poker heavy?”

Chi Can and Yang Houcheng both rolled their eyes.

They felt that ever since their friend had made his feelings for Miss Li clear, he’d become increasingly foolish.

“Not heavy.” Qiao Zhao pressed her lips together and asked: “That person is inside? I’ll go take a look.”

After speaking, without waiting for the three to react, she carried the fire poker inside.

“That person’s hand tendons were severed. Could Miss Li be going to bandage him?” Yang Houcheng asked uncertainly, the image of the thick fire poker in the young woman’s hands constantly flashing in his mind.

Chi Can sneered: “Looking at Third Miss Li’s expression, do you think that’s likely?”

Shao Mingyuan directly followed her in.

The other two immediately followed suit.

Yang Hu had his hand tendons severed and jaw dislocated, and was currently bound tightly to a chair, unable to move. Suddenly, a dressed young woman walked in, looking at him expressionlessly.

“What’s your name?” Qiao Zhao asked.

“Zhaozhao, his jaw was dislocated, so he couldn’t speak.”

Dislocating the jaw was naturally intended to prevent him from committing suicide.

Qiao Zhao walked to Yang Hu, took out a pill from her pouch and stuffed it into his mouth, then turned and said: “General Shao, please reset his jaw.”

Shao Mingyuan walked over and twisted it back with his hand.

Yang Hu moved his mouth and found he could move it, but his mouth felt weak and powerless.

What had this little girl given him to eat?

“Can you speak now? Your name.” Qiao Zhao asked coldly.

Yang Hu sneered and remained silent.

Qiao Zhao raised her eyebrows and said quite pitifully: “He won’t speak, so I can only give him a taste of what’s coming.”

After speaking, the young woman raised the fire poker in her hand and struck Yang Hu’s body.

As a physician, she knew best which vital areas couldn’t be struck. Avoiding those few spots, she swung the fire poker forcefully while silently counting in her heart: one strike, two strikes, three strikes…

Yang Houcheng looked dazed and poked his friend beside him: “Shixi, why do I feel like Miss Li just found a random excuse to beat him up?”

“If you don’t speak, no one will think you’re mute,” Chi Can said indifferently.

What’s wrong with beating someone you find displeasing? He just wondered if her hands hurt…

Qiao Zhao completely ignored others’ opinions. After silently counting to twenty-six strikes in her heart, she struck once more for each of their three siblings, then threw the fire poker aside and stopped, breathing slightly heavily.

After twenty-six strikes, she had exhausted all her strength, yet this person had so easily destroyed twenty-six lives of the Qiao family.

If possible, she wished she could cut this person into a thousand pieces to resolve the hatred in her heart.

Unfortunately, she needed to keep this person alive to accuse the real mastermind.

“Let’s go out. There’s no need to interrogate someone like this,” Shao Mingyuan said.

It wasn’t that such an expert had no need for interrogation, but rather that extraordinary methods were required – ordinary people couldn’t extract anything from him.

Shao Mingyuan dislocated Yang Hu’s jaw again, and the group went out together.

“Chongshan, tell your men not to sleep tonight. Tonight, there will likely be a fierce battle.”

Hearing this, Yang Houcheng couldn’t help but grimace bitterly: “Tingquan, don’t scare me. My subordinates are fine for eating, drinking, playing, and intimidating people, but they’re no good for fierce battles.”